Aircraft lamp



Jul 31, 1923- A. L. DAVIS AIRCRAFT LAMP Original Filed Aug. 8, 1922Patented July 31, 1923.

UNTTED 8E3 itans at orrics.

ALBERT LEWIS DAVIS, OF KINGSWAY, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO VICKERSLIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

AIRCRAFT LAMP.

Original application filed August 8, 1922, Serial No. 580,480. Dividedand this application filed May 26,

T 0 all whom it may conoem:

Be it known that I, ALBERT LEWIS Dav s, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at the Air Ministry, Alexandra House, Kingsway, in thecounty of London, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to Aircraft Lamps, of which the following isa specification.

This application is a division of appl1- cation Serial No. 580,480,filed August 8, 1922.

' This invention relates to improvements in electric navigation lightsfor aircraft and more particularly to out-of-control lamps, that is tosay, lamps which are intended to signal to observers in any directionthe fact that the aircraft is out of control. Such lamps are required tobe suspended and to show two distinct lights, one under the other, andthe chief object of the present invention is to provide a doublesuspended lamp device suitable for use on a1rcraft.

According to this invention two lights, one suspended below the otherand each com-- prising an electric lamp within a trans parent dome andmounted on a body piece providing for a maximum angle of visibility aresuspended from a plug and socket unit carrying electric cables passingto the two lamps. The plug and socket unit is preferably provided withtwo conduits for the electric cables, one passing directly to the .upperlamp and the other passing from a branch conduit at one side through aguide along the side of the upper light tothe lamp body of the lowerlight, a supporting cable also leading from the unit to the upper lightat the opposite side to the electric cable and passing thence to thelower light. The electric and supporting cables are attached togetherbelow the upper light.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which 2-- Fig. 1 is a viewshowing the two suspended lights, the upper one being shown in crosssection,

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively an elevation and a sectional view of aweatherproof Serial No. 641,758.

plug and socket union for the suspended lights.

Each light comprises a lamp body piece 16 having a screw threaded socket17, a

glass dome 18, screw threaded at 19 and engaging the socket 17, which isprovided with an india rubber seating ring 20. 21 is a tubular supportfor a lamp holder 22 within which is the filament lamp 23. The tubularsupport 21 extends from the body piece 16 through a centralizing plate27 which maintains the lamp in central position in the dome 18. The domeas shown is of cylindrical form with a rounded lower end and the lamp isplaced well down in the lower part of the dome so that the body pieceoffers the minimum obstruction to the visibility of the light, thefilament 37 of which is intended to be seen in all possible directions.

Referring to the plug and socket unit employed for the support of thelights and for the leading in of the electric cables. 44 is a union plugunit and 45 a so ket unit, the two units being secured together by theunion nut 46 which engages a flange 47 and screw threads 48 on the twounits. 49, 49 are position pins to ensure the fitting to gether of theparts in the proper manner and 50 are conduits for the electric cables51- and 51 one of which conduits is coaxial with the unit, while theother projects at an angle.

- The body piece of the two lights are suspended by the supporting cable52, which is secured at 53 to the plug and socket unit at the lower sideand at 54 to the body pieces 16 of the two lights. In passing to thelower light the cable 52 extends through a guide tube 55 passingalongside of the upper light and connected to its body piece. The sideor branch electric cable 51 passes through the guide tube 56 extendinglongitudinally along the side of the dome 18 apposite to the guide tube55. The guide tubes 55 and 56 are spaced by a gauge ring 57 at theirlower ends and the cables 52 and 51 are separated by a stretcher 58between the two lights below the gage ring, the cables being broughttogether as shown at the bottom of 51 and at the upper end of the lowerlight.

The plug and socket unit is provided with a single conduit 50 at theupper side,

through which pames the single cable 51 leading from the current supplyand an extension 52 ofthe supporting cable passes from the upper side ofthe plug and socket union along with the electric cable 51 to which itis bound.

The lower light is protected from injury by guard rods 59 extendingdownwardly from the carrier or gallery 60, which is secured at 61 to thebody piece 16 of this light.

lhe two lights are suspended from an convenient fixed member on theaircra t through the supporting cable 52 and the current is led to thepair of lamps through the cable 51 and the upper member of the plug andsocket union, to the lower member of which is electrically connected thecentral and the branch cables 51 and 51 The fittings of the two lightsofier as little obstruction as possible, the lamps being visible in alldirections excepting within a comparatively small cone immediately abovethe lights, where they are obscured by the holders and body pieces.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. In a navigation light for aircraft comprising lights arranged oneabove the other, the upper light having a body piece carrying a dome andlamp, guide tubes carried by said body piece, a gauge ring secured tothe guide tubes adjacent the lower ends thereof, and cables passingthrough said guide tubes for suspending the lower light.

2. In a navigation light for aircraft comprising lights arranged oneabove the other, the upper light having a body piece carrying a dome, anelectric lamp and vguide tubes, a gauge ring secured to the guide tubesadjacent the lower ends thereof, the lower light having a body piececarrying a dome and an electric lamp, and cables passing through saidguide tubes for suspending the lower light and supplying electric energyto the electric lamp.

3. In a navigation light for aircraft comprising lights suspended oneabove the other, the upper light being provided with a body pieceadapted to support a. dome, an electric lamp and guide tubes, a gaugering encircling the dome secured to the guide tubes adjacent the lowerends thereof, the lower light having a body piece carrying a dome and anelectric lamp, a pair of plug and socket units arranged above the upperlight serving to connect the lamps to electric cables, the upper unit ofwhich is provided with one conduit and the lower unit with a pluralityof conduits, one of which conduits extends in the direction of the upperend of one of the guide tubes, and an electric conductor extendingthrough this last mentioned conduit and through the guide tube forsupplying electrical energy tothe lower lamp.

4. In a navigation light for aircraft comprising lights suspended onefrom the other, the upper light having a body piece carrying a dome, alamp and guide tubes, the lower light having a body piece carrying adome, and an electric lamp, cables passing through the guide tubes forsuspending the lower light and supplying electrical energy to theelectric lamp, and means within the domes for rigidly supporting thelamps a distance from the body pieces at least equal to the diameter ofthe respective body pieces wherebya large angle of substantiallyuninteirupted visibility is provided.

ALBERT LEWIS DAVIS.

